Systems Reference Document
The Systems Reference Document, shortened as SRD, is a PDF released by Wizards of the Coast which provides free rules and information from the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and the Monster Manual. It comes with an Open Game License (shortened to OGL) that legally permits people to create and publish content using the Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition rules. While it doesn't allow people to use the Forgotten Realms for their original content, it does allow and encourage original worlds. The current version of the SRD is 5.1, while the OGL's current version is 1.0a. The SRD may be found here. SRD 5.1 Update * Various key spells used by classes, magic items, and monsters have been added to the spells section. For example, the Eldritch Blast cantrip is essential for many Warlock abilities, and is now part of the SRD. * References to any archetypes (and similar choice-based class features like cleric domains) that aren't in the SRD (like wild magic for sorcerers) have been removed from the text to avoid confusion. * References to “chapters” are gone, as the SRD isn't organized by chapters. * Bookmarks have been added for the most important and frequently-referenced topics. * A few text corrections have been made (such as a few references to "DM" instead of "GM," some typographical errors from importing the text from its original source, and incorporating errata from the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, and Monster Manual). * All appendices have been moved to the end of the document. For example, the Conditions appendix from the Player's Handbook used to appear in the middle of the SRD, but now it's at the end. To avoid confusion between appendices taken from the Player's Handbook and the Monster Manual, the appendices now have a PH- or MM- prefix as appropriate. * Rules for magic item attunement, activating items, and wearing and wielding items are now in the SRD. SRD 5.1 FAQ Why does the SRD only have one background and one feat? Why do the PC races not include all of the subraces? The goal of the SRD is to allow users to create new content, not to replicate the text of the whole game. We encourage players, DMs, and publishers to come up with their own backgrounds and feats. Why is the SRD missing some spells, magic items, and monsters? In general, the criteria for what went into the SRD is if it (1) was in the 3E SRD, (2) has an equivalent in 5th edition D&D, and (3) is vital to how a class, magic item, or monster works. For example, the 3E SRD has the delay poison spell, but in 5th edition that's handled by the Protection from Poison spell, so protection from poison is in the SRD. Why do the bookmarks not have spaces in them? The SRD is built in Microsoft Word and converted to a PDF. The bookmarks are created in Word and translated into the PDF (which means we don't have to manually add all the bookmarks into the PDF every time). Word's bookmark function doesn't allow spaces, so the bookmarks in the PDF don't have spaces. Will more content be added to the SRD? The full 5th edition game and its expansions are available for use via the DMs Guild. New material will be added to the SRD if it is necessary to keep this document and its contents updated to the latest D&D rules. Legal Information Permission to copy, modify and distribute the files collectively known as the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD5”) is granted solely through the use of the Open Gaming License, Version 1.0a. This material is being released using the Open Gaming License Version 1.0a and you should read and understand the terms of that license before using this material. The following items are designated Product Identity (of Wizards of the Coast), as defined in Section 1(e) of the Open Game License Version 1.0a, and are subject to the conditions set forth in Section 7 of the OGL, and are not Open Content: Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master, Monster Manual, d20 System, Wizards of the Coast, d20 (when used as a trademark), Forgotten Realms, Faerûn, proper names (including those used in the names of spells or items), places, Underdark, Red Wizard of Thay, the City of Union, Heroic Domains of Ysgard, Ever-Changing Chaos of Limbo, Windswept Depths of Pandemonium, Infinite Layers of the Abyss, Tarterian Depths of Carceri, Gray Waste of Hades, Bleak Eternity of Gehenna, Nine Hells of Baator, Infernal Battlefield of Acheron, Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus, Peaceable Kingdoms of Arcadia, Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia, Twin Paradises of Bytopia, Blessed Fields of Elysium, Wilderness of the Beastlands, Olympian Glades of Arborea, Concordant Domain of the Outlands, Sigil, Lady of Pain, Book of Exalted Deeds, Book of Vile Darkness, beholder, gauth, carrion crawler, tanar'ri, baatezu, displacer beast, githyanki, githzerai, mind flayer, illithid, umber hulk, yuan-ti.Category:PDFs